Unified desktop laptop dock software operation

• US 9,405,459 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Reeves, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Toan
• Application Number:
  US13/566,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20130076594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/04 Display device controller operating with a plurality of display units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/12 Frame memory handling
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface or “desktop” across two devices are provided. More particularly, a unified desktop is presented across a device and a computer system that comprise a unified system. The unified desktop acts as a single user interface that presents data and receives user interaction in a seamless environment that emulates a personal computing environment. To function within the personal computing environment, the unified desktop includes a process for docking and undocking the device with the computer system. The unified desktop presents desktops or windows based on a set of pre-determined rules.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device executing a first operating system and a second operating system, wherein the second operating system controls the device;

providing a computer system executing an operating system;

docking the device to the computer system to form a unified system, wherein the docking comprises a physical connection between the device and the computer system, and wherein the first and second operating systems interact to generate the unified system;

controlling, after the docking and by the first operating system of the device, the computer system;

generating, by the first and second device operating systems, a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system;

while docked, receiving a first event at the computer system, wherein the first event is a user interface input on the computer system;

intercepting information associated with the first event in a memory stack for the operating system of the computer system;

packaging the information;

relaying the packaged information, from the computer system to the device, in a message provided by a device interface associated with the computer system to a computer system interface associated with the device;

receiving the message by the computer system interface associated with the device;

determining, by the second operating system of the device, that the first event is associated with the computer system;

processing, by the first operating system of the device, the first event for the computer system;

sending, by the first operating system of the device, an output associated with the processed first event through the computer system interface to the device interface;

receiving the output by the device interface;

injecting the output into the memory stack of the computer system to direct the computer system to display the output; and

displaying, by the computer system operating system, the output on the second user interface of the unified desktop.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, after the docking, the first operating system of the device can subordinate events in the memory stack of the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, after the docking, the first operating system of the device can promote events sent from the device in the memory stack of the computer system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, after the docking, the first operating system of the device can erase, delete, or change the memory stack of the computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before generating the unified desktop, determining if the docking is a first docking of the device and the computer system; and

when the docking is the first docking, installing the device interface on the computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a display, wherein the device includes a first display and a second display, and wherein the first user interface is displayed on the first and second displays of the device and the second user interface is displayed on the display of the computer system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first display and the second display are on a common first screen of the device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first display is on a first screen of the device and the second display is on a different second screen of the device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second event on the device, wherein the second event is associated with the first event;

receiving, by the first operating system of the device, the first event;

receiving, by the second operating system of the device, the second event; and

determining, by the first and second operating systems, which of the first and second events to process first.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second events are associated with movement of a window from one of the first and second user interfaces of the unified desktop to an other one of the first and second user interfaces.

11. A unified system, comprising:

a device comprising;

a first screen;

a first memory;

a first operating system;

a second operating system; and

a first processor; and

a computer system comprising;

a second screen;

a second memory;

an operating system; and

a second processor executing the operating system, wherein the device is docked with the computer system to form the unified system, wherein the docking comprises a physical connection between the device and the computer system, and wherein the first processor is configured to;

execute the first operating system, wherein, after docking the device with the computer system, the first operating system of the device controls the computer system;

execute the second operating system, wherein the second operating system controls the device, and wherein the first and second operating systems interact to generate the unified system;

generate, by the first and second device operating systems, a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system;

while docked, receive, by a computer system interface associated with the device, a first event from the computer system, wherein the first event is a user interface input on the computer system, wherein information associated with the first event is intercepted in a memory stack for the operating system of the computer system, wherein the information is packaged, wherein the packaged information is relayed, from the computer system to the device, in a message provided by a device interface associated with the computer system to the computer system interface;

determine, by the second operating system, that the first event is associated with the computer system;

process, by the first operating system, the first event for the computer system; and

send, by the first operating system, an output associated with the processed first event through the computer system interface to the device interface, wherein the device interface of the computer system receives the output, wherein the output is injected into the memory stack of the computer system to direct the computer system to display the output, and wherein the output is displayed on the second user interface of the unified desktop by the computer system operating system.

12. The unified system of claim 11, wherein the first processor is further operable to:

receive, by the second operating system of the device, a second event on the device, wherein the second event is associated with the first event; and

determine, by the first and second operating systems, which of the first and second events to process first.

13. The unified system of claim 11, wherein the first screen of the device includes a first display and a second display.

14. The unified system of claim 11, wherein the first screen of the device includes a first display and a different screen of the device includes a second display.

15. The unified system of claim 11, wherein the first processor is further operable to:

determine, before generating the unified desktop, if the docking is a first docking of the device and the computer system; and

when the docking is the first docking, install the device interface on the computer system.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a unified system, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to executing a first operating system of a device and a second operating system of the device, wherein the second operating system controls the device;

instructions to generate the unified system when the device is docked with a computer system, wherein the docking comprises a physical connection between the device and the computer system, wherein the computer system is executing an operating system, and wherein, after the docking, the first operating system of the device controls the computer system;

instructions to generate, by the first and second operating systems of the device, a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system;

while docked, instructions to receive a first event by a computer system interface associated with the device, wherein the first event is a user interface input received at the computer system, wherein information associated with the first event is intercepted in a memory stack for the operating system of the computer system, wherein the information is packaged, wherein the packaged information is relayed from the computer system to the device in a message provided by a device interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the message is received by the computer system interface;

instructions to determine, by the second operating system of the device, that the first event is associated with the computer system;

instructions to process, by the first operating system of the device, the first event for the computer system; and

instructions to send, by the first operating system of the device, an output associated with the processed first event through the computer system interface to the device interface, wherein the device interface receives the output, wherein the output is injected into the memory stack of the computer system to direct the computer system to display the output, and wherein the output is displayed on the second user interface of the unified desktop by the computer system operating system.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

instructions to receive, by the second operating system of the device, a second event on the device, wherein the second event is associated with the first event; and

instructions to determine, by the first and second operating systems, which of the first and second events to process first.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the device includes a screen with a first display and a second display.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the device includes a first screen with a first display and second screen with a second display.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

instructions to determine, before generating the unified desktop, if the docking is a first docking of the device and the computer system; and

when the docking is the first docking, instructions to install the device interface on the computer system.